Short Stories Seminar

Around the World in Classic Tales

Recommended for: 6-8 graders (advanced 5th graders welcome)

Course Schedule:

Spring Qtr: Jan./Feb. - April | Summer Qtr: June/July - Aug.

Fall Qtr: Sept. - Nov. | Winter Qtr: Nov. - Jan.

In-Class Instruction Time: 10 hours

Course Registration

Course Overview

Short stories are concentrated miniatures of human experience. More than other genres, the short story is known for a strong degree of focus and unity to carry the reader from the opening lines to the ending. It proceeds with a clear goal at a particular speed: within only a few pages, a full universe is revealed. The short story is also celebrated for its aesthetic flexibility: whether moving in a traditional linear narrative or taking a more disjunctive shape, it is adept at catching the mood of the time and the place.

This course selects gems from the greatest works of short literature. Students will be guided to read an eclectic range of timeless short stories from across cultures and societies, appreciate the diversity and generality of human experience, and develop intercultural competency to engage productively in global communities.

Students can anticipate 1-2 hours of weekly homework, including readings and writing projects. Throughout the course, the mentor offers essential oral feedback on writing and written feedback at the end of each multi-phase project.

Sample Readings

Achebe, Chinua. "The Sacrificial Egg."
Akutagawa, Ryunosuke. “In a Bamboo Grove.”
Atwood, Margaret. "Death by Landscape."
Borges, Jorge Luis. "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote."
Chekhov, Anton. "Gusev."
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour."

Danticat, Edwidge. "A Wall of Fire Rising."
Doerr, Anthony. “The River Nemunas.”
Hualing, Nieh. "The Several Blessings of Wang Ta-nien."
Jhabvala, Ruth Prawer "Passion."
Joyce, James. "Araby."
Kafka, Franz. "The Metamorphosis."
King, Thomas. “Borders.”
Le Guin, Ursula K. "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas."
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World."
MacLeod, Alistair. “The Boat.”
Mistry, Rohinton. “Swimming Lessons.”
Mukherjee, Bharati. "Management of Grief."
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Schweblin, Samanta. “Toward Happy Civilization.”
Walker, Alice. “Everyday Use.”